Greetings Pixies!
Well, winter has arrived in my neck of the woods. We're hovering around the -40C mark (which is the same as -40F). I'm glad it's this week, as it was quite lovely over the holidays.
What?
The holidays aren't over?
hahahahahahaha - you're probably thinking of New Year's Eve.
In my house, New Year's Eve is an excuse to stay indoors and eat the Christmas chocolate. On New Year's Day we take down the tree. That's about it.
I'm mostly looking forward to a few days off.
What are your plans for this week? Whine away pixies!
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The windchill has reached -40 here, too! So much for that unseasonably warm Christmas we had. We suspect that our car's remote starter is causing our car's issues, since the car was plugged in all night and still needed a boost this morning. Ugh.
W: Still. Sick. But now my temperature is down, and so I'm at that "half-way" sick point that esperanza complained about last week: feeling terrible, but knowing that my doctor will tell me it's a virus.
Mr. Q is a living saint, who has slogged Li'l E to the grocery store with him (wrapping her in a massive blanket while outside), because I'm too sick to take care of her. I'm pretty sure he has a good number of complaints, as a result of those listed facts. (He's hit the point where he's mildly saying, "It'll be really nice when you're well again.")
AW: we've picked out a couch and chair that we love, and hopefully tomorrow I will be well enough to leave the house and purchase them. The pictures of this set are what cheers me up right now. They're so fun! These will be my first new (and first non-tattered) chairs since I moved out from my parents' house (12 years ago).
I have trouble imagining negative temperatures, much less negative 40!
QWP, hope you are feeling better! Yay for Mr. Q, and yay for the new couch and chair.
Sue, bet you will enjoy those few days after so much busy busy lately!
We have essentially the same holiday plans. But I really need to start jamming on a work albatross.
(((QWP))) Feel better soon! Yay for new furniture and Yay for Mr. Q stepping up!
Rant Warning! Feel free to skip!
I am so glad to be kicking 2014 out the fireplacing door. Deaths of so many people close to my heart -- stop that! The diva cat, gone also after a long run. All kinds of wtf in the larger family context; and ya know, buttons have been pushed. Really challenging and depressing work stuff. My SIL's progressive brain degeneration, and difficult related developments. All the stress monkeys. BEGONE!
There were some good things, good people, problems that at least kinda got solved. My kids are good and working and happy. My sweetie and I have worked together. We have a new, very funny cat! Nothing bad happened at holiday parties. I'll take more of that for next year, thank you! But less of the other.
I'm grateful for you friends. xoxo
We're grateful for you too kathy!
Agreed - we need an extra large can of Stress-Monkeys-Be-Gone to spray in the general direction of 2015.
:)
Classic Toddler Whine: so, Mr. Q had the brilliant idea that, for the last few days of E's Advent Calendar, she'd get tiny little toys (mostly little rubber animals) instead of chocolate. So, of course now E has formed a strong attachment to all of her "Tinies." And of course they all go missing constantly. And of course she worries about them when they're missing.
Seriously: she has a white kitten that is maybe a centimeter tall, and she dropped it in the snow! Miraculously, Mr. Q found it, but the Tinies are giving me grey hairs.
Oh, the tinies! So loved and so lost...
Big AW: long talk on the telephone with my BFF from high school! We don't catch up often enough, so there was a lot of ground to cover. But you know how it is when you can just pick up where you left off? Like that. <3
Ah yes, the lost tinies, I remember them well. For us, they were often dinosaurs.
Yay for BFF calls kathy!! Aren't those great conversations?
W: Funeral this morning for a member of our congregation. There were about 800 people present (we had to rent a bigger church). He had so many good friends and they all loved him.
The longer I am at my church, the harder these services get. I got through the service fine - professional and pastoral presence intact - but they started the sending forth and I got really choked up. It's called Go Now in Peace and it's a signature song for our little church - we sing it at the end of all our services.
I don't think anyone knew I was struggling, I just didn't sing. But dang, that was a tough one. I'm really going to miss him.
xoxo
((((Sue)))) We sing that song often, too, at my UU church and I can't imagine getting through it at a funeral of a dear person.
XOXOXo
(((Sue)))
So, I was just reading through an article about the new influenza mutation that the flu shot has been failing against (and which is sweeping through my province), and that explains everything. Seriously: I have (or had) every single symptom, exactly in order.
AW: I'm improving, and Mr. Q and E seem to have stayed healthy through it.
Well, I'm thankful we cancelled church on Sunday. A large percentage of us (or those of us who were still in town) had this same thing, so it's a good thing we made everyone stay home for the week.
I read that report too QWP, and I wondered about you since the rate of this particular flu is high where you live. I'm glad to hear you're improving.
I love that song too, Sue and Liz. I sing it to myself a lot. I learned it when I attended a UU church for a spell.
Did I tell you I have two kitties now? I hear them trying to wake Newly Teen Son. They adore him. He assembles cat amusements, McGuiver(sp?)-style, all over the house. They wait at the front window for him to return from school everday. He's super happy they are here.
Oh my Goodness!! Something posted!!
W: 2014 will not be missed. I had major conflict in every area of my life this past year. It did not break me but I'd like some time to heal my many wounds.
Miranda! Your posts worked! Hooray! And you have kitties! I really hope that 2015 is a better year for you.
Yay, Miranda, it worked! The kittens sound adorable; your son, too.
Yep, stick a fork in 2014.
I've kind of gone down a rabbit hole of reading and talking about my SIL's kind of dementia, in an online support group. Going to need to cut back. But it has helped cope with the extreme weirdness and rockiness, knowing there are others dealing with it.
I don't do resolutions -- for example, I never met a diet that I did not flunk immediately. But hoping this next year to see or talk to friends more often; to get some manageable exercise every day; and to get a real haircut at some point during the calendar year.
I read this and thought of all of you. Thanks for being there.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2014/09/18/you-know-that-mom-who-isnt-joining-in-the-proud-of-my-kid-conversation-yeah-ask-how-shes-doing/
(((Miranda)))
Miranda, that is an EXCELLENT article! xoxox
Seriously, I believe in looking at certain things as a different path. I believe it is easier to find things to brag about when kids are littler.
I believe people can be good, decent, productive people even if they do not follow the most note-worthy path -- because honestly, how many people do hit the lottery of always performing well in every single way, along some golden path, all the time, no matter what?
Sometimes the bumps -- and I know this is true for me and for some of you -- are really horrible, but things work out in the longer term with love and reaching out and acceptance and hard work, and more love.
xxoo
Oh, that article is really good.
I saw that article a few weeks' back, Miranda. It is excellent.
I'm feeling better, we are at the grandparents' house. Cousins had to leave early due to yucky weather, so amusements here are wearing thin. But I'm ready for us to be back home and school to start back.
Yay Miranda!! Yay kitties!! And a lot of hugs and wishes for a better year. Great article too!!!
Glad you're feeling better esperanza.
I don't do resolutions either. My favourite thing to do on New Year's Eve is to read all of the Best Books of Year lists. Ya, I know how to party!
The article is timeless as well. I have adult sons who have not taken the standard Married/2 Kids/Dog route with their lives. Both are happy and that's what matters, but I am asked ALL THE TIME whether they are in relationships and when I expect to be a grandmother.
When I say that I don't have any expectation of grandparenting (if it happens, great - if not, also great) I get this head-tilted Sad For You look from people and I want to scream.
My children are happy and healthy. They have jobs, good friends, and a strong moral center. They are loved and they know it. Our youngest just had his grandparents' names tattooed on his arm.
So my kvelling doesn't look like a lot of other peoples', but it's mine. And it's good.
What Sue said, exactly.
Taking down the tree.
Not sure if we'll get to the tree today. This weekend, anyway.
Daughter's birthday is in a week, and I have not one single idea. Sigh. Well, cash always works well for her...
I forgot about the fireworks on NY Eve. The new windows really do block most of the noise, but the cats became very alert, and something woke me up. (Yes, we celebrated some hours earlier than the official midnight!)
Hope everyone had an enjoyable evening! And here's to a shiny new year!
We celebrated at 9:00 EDT.
Re: presents. What about something personal? A card-file box with recipes for her favorite dishes, and blank recipe cards for adding on? Something like that?
That might be good under other circumstances. She has some cookbooks, but doesn't use them because she lives with us. But more importantly, she has mountains of stuff already -- it overflows her room into the next room, the family room, the garage...
Her birthday is more of a challenge, since it is so soon after Christmas. She's saving up and looking for an apartment, at which point she'll need other stuff. Rents are expensive around here! (Besides which, she said she wants $ for her b-day.)
AW of the future: When she finally gets her own place, we can send all her stuff over there! And some of the excess furniture, etc.!
I am glad to see the ass-end of 2014 as well. As with everything, there was good and bad, but it seemed that the bad was REALLY BAD and it sort of overshadowed all the good that went on.
At any rate, I am hoping that 2015 is better in all respects.
I am trying to be my more positive, upbeat self this year. Hope that I can get my happy demeanor back.
AW: Li'l E successfully had a sleepover at Grammy's house! I had my longest night's sleep in a very long time, and woke up feeling a little better.
W: so, this exhaustion and utter melting down now. Rooting for it to be "I had a sleepover last night" tiredness, and not the first sign that she has the flu now, too.
KLee, here's to a better 2015! Last year gifted you with some doozies, so glad you got through them.
QWP -- yay for the sleepover! Hope you are feeling better.
Keep whining pixies. I'll try for awards tomorrow, but I'm doubtful of my success in that regard.
I didn't get nearly enough work done today and I also need to do laundry so I can pack for my quick out of town trip Sunday afternoon to Tuesday to see the Magic Migraine Doc. It's once again a testament to the level of my head pain that I can't wait to get a bunch of needles in my skull.
For now, sleep.
No worries about awards. YAY for the magic migraine doc!
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